How many go to the dark side?

[ae6black]

While I love my TD for winter camping and even now have it set up for blisteringly hot summer camping, I miss a bathroom. At my age I get up several times a night. A laundry jug can work in a pinch but, I still miss a bathroom. I also like the fact that I can incline the unit to make my head higher than my feet for better breathing while I am sleeping. Right now I am flirting with a new Casita. The problem is freezing weather when I still do much if not most of my camping for hunting and Fishing Seasons. Having a TD that doesn't need winterized is a huge plus. Also not many people frequent the campgrounds when I am in them so I typically get the showers and the bathrooms all to myself. Still I miss a bathroom particularly when I am camping in a crowded Campground during the summer. I have the shower tent that I can set up and put the Porta potty in which can help my dog from going ballistic when I hoof it off to use the bathroom, But I still miss a personal, no one else can use bathroom. The TD has worked fine and I may still keep it and use if for cold weather but I am thinking about retirement and traveling more when other people are around. Any body else have these feelings? What was your solution?

Art

[aggie79]

We're in the same situation. We have a side tent with porta-potty that connects to the TD so that when you open the teardrop door you're in the tent. This is fine for a weekend, but we too are considering something else for the same reasons you stated.

I would like to build a cargo trailer conversion, but my wife doesn't want to go through another build. So...we have "casually" been checking out the travel trailer world (much to my chagrin). I'm not too impressed and the prices for new are terrifying. I don't want to inherit someone else's money pit, but a used travel trailer may be what we end up with.

[KennethW]

I went with a teardrop with a composting toilet. How can that be? Two 30" beds(queen cut in half) with side extends for my feet. And a extreme drop floor.(54" walls) Makes the better half a happy camper.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[CaptKidd]

After a 10,500 mile road trip around the US with my Little Guy Silver Shadow I was able to sell it for what I had paid for it and then bought an R-179 RPod. The RPod is kind of like a teardrop on steroids. I love it. Totally self contained.

[KennethW]

A RPod is to a size that you will need a truck to pull it. Or a big SUV with mirror extensions

[Aguyfromohio]

My friends who love boats call this disease "two-foot-itis". It's the persistent desire for a boat just two feet longer than the one you bought last month.

The wife and I have discussed our RV interests at great length and decided that across the whole spectrum of RVs, only the extreme ends make any sense to us.
Right now a tiny bare-bones teardrop will do nicely. Tent camping without a tent, sleep dry and warm and cool and comfy.
Later perhaps if we decide to do extended full time touring the other end of the spectrum makes sense. A giant fifth wheel rig or class A diesel pusher motor home, full of luxury and conveniences as a home away from home.

The little conventional travel trailers between 18 and 30 feet don't appeal to us. Too big to go bouncing out in the boondocks using our small cars to tow, and too small to spend 8 weeks living on the road with all our clothes and cooking gear and high definition TVs and no room for guests to play cards for the evening.
But we do have to admit there are a swarm of great little camping trailers out there in that range, if that is what you like.

[tony.latham]

I just step out into the dark and hope there's nothing big and dark out there.





Tony

[HarryL]

I solved the problem by having two campers. My blue Standie,and a 27 ft Forest River Flaggstaff fitted with composting toilet and 600 watts of solar on the roof.

We use the teardrop in State and Federal campgrounds that have small sites. Trips are usually short or in rugged locations. An example would be Blackwoods in Acadia National Park. Really works best with a Teardrop. Also the Teardrop gets used by my adult kids regularly which makes me happy!

We use the "big" camper when were out on the road for extended periods of time and could be boondocking on BLM land. At our age, it makes life much easier.

[S. Heisley]

I don't want the hassle of maintaining and cleaning a bathroom, emptying the black "water" tank, winterizing the tanks, the smells that can climb up the drains, etc.

I'm not certain how well a Casita does in the winter. A friend bought a new one and lived in Nebraska in it through one winter. She used more than 40 gallons of propane each week to heat it, and the tanks still cracked plus she couldn't get the inside warm enough. They are very popular and nice for the warmer months, though.

[ae6black]

I would be curious how many 60 plus youngsters still like doing the tear drop shuffle putting on your pants when the dog wants to go for a walk in the middle of the night? I am afraid to try to teach him how to use the laundry jug like I do in an emergency. While I have a dog chain attached to the outside of TD for just this purpose that will reach the door, my little booger always seems to manage getting his chain wrapped around the wheels or the tongue jack, making me have to go out and get him. Somehow I am still a little bit bashful to be doing this in my skivvies when he starts barking. Maybe I won't care so much when I get older. After all as they say time heals all wounds. The problem is you can get an unwanted reputation that will follow you for the rest of your life, something I really don't want. But still the TD is still about my best choice for winter camping. When it's below freezing, I don't have to deal with plumbing freezing or water line breaks or damage to my unit. If I do upgrade to a new Castia, not only will I have to shell out a bit over twenty thousand, (I could have a Camp Inn for that) I 'll still have winter plumbing issues that I don't currently have. But it would be easier to camp out of in warmer temperatures, for somebody that doesn't bend as easy as they did 10 years ago, particularly when I am camping with the dog in a crowded Campground. Thank you for helping me think out loud. Maybe I ought to just suck it up and put up my shower tent for the potty and shower in that in warmer temperatures which I will be planning on doing a lot more of when I retire and can go camping more. I've thought about just trying to keep both units, but since I live in someone else's home, space is an issue. Two trailers parked outside can begin to wear out my welcome in a fairly big hurry. When I retire and have my own place, two trailers probably won't be much of an issue. Anyone else have any other thoughts?

Art

[crttaz]

Vanlife.

Of in my case, I'll likely create a sleeping platform in my 2005 Durango.

If I do get a TT, it would be a myPod.



Or a Cargo Lite Extreme

[Ron Dickey]

Back when i was building my first trailer, I was going to pull it with a Toyota Truck. At first it almost became the camper for the truck then I got a trailer.
Any way, One of my plans was to build a camper in the back of the truck holding a shower and a restroom. that way if I unhooked the trailer and went off somewhere I always had it in the back of the truck.

I never got that far. I pulled with a car. But this brings up old ideas.

Ron

[crttaz]

It took me 1.5 years to find a TV that I could also sleep in if needed. Which is rated to tow 8950#....

I was looking at a Honda Oddy, now have twice the tow rating...and 60% of the mpg.....

[S. Heisley]

If you decide to go with a fiberglass trailer, be sure to check out this one, too!...:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0gWpQ9cA7k

Here's one for sale in the Sacramento, CA area that gives specifications with some pictures:

https://www.folsomlakerv.com/product-li ... el-trailer

[aggie79]

If you decide to go with a fiberglass trailer, be sure to check out this one, too!...:

http://smalltrailerenthusiast.com/2012/ ... parkliner/

Sharon,
Looks like a well-built fiberglass egg, but when you try to access their web link it is redirected to another site. Also, their Facebook site doesn't have any entries in 2018. I don't think they are around anymore.
Take care,
Tom